Initial Submittal by DLS part of longer AU Episode
by selfdo
Summary: This is my first submittal of Star Wars, an AU rendition. It takes place at the end of Episode IV and fills in briefly thereafter. IT's part of a larger story. I've put this on the site in order to solicit comments as to content and style.


**Chapter 12 - Destruction of the first Death Star. Vader and Mara narrowly survive.**

Vader and his two wingmen, Mara Jade and Kit Kiffers, returned to the Death Star trench to pursue the two Rebel X-Wings that were attacking. They closed up to effective firing range. One of the X-Wings was weaving to prevent the lead craft from being overtaken. It was firing its rear blasters randomly to discourage the TIE fighters. Vader locked in his targeting computer on the wavering Rebel craft

Wedge cried:"I'm hit! I can't stay with you."

Luke responded "Get clear, Wedge! You can't do any more good back there!"

The trailing X-Wing began to veer upwards. Mara began to pursue to finish Wedge off.

Vader intervened. "Let him go! Stay on the leader!" He murmured to himself, _the Force is strong with this one._ He heard Mara's reply.

_The Rebel pilot is indeed strong with the Force, Master._ She weaved her TIE fighter to get a shot off at Luke's X-Wing.

_No, Ensign Jade, you're too close to the trench wall. I will press the attack._

Jade and Kiffers pulled back by about fifty meters to give Vader room to maneuver.

The targeting computer showed that he was acquiring a lock-on. It chimed as the lock-on was confirmed. Vader hesitated.

_Master, what are you waiting for? Take the shot!_

_It is a tragic waste, indeed, to destroy one so strong with Force._

_Yes, Master, he does feel familiar, but…you have to do it!_

"I have you now!" Vader triumphed to himself. Then his rear directional detectors indicated an attacking craft…"What??"

Suddenly, he noticed that Kiffers TIE fighter was hit and exploded in a huge ball of flame. Another shot from the unseen craft sheared one engine off Jade's fighter and it slammed hard against the trench wall in a terrible explosion. The shock from the two explosions knocked Vader's X1 craft off-course and it was all he could to keep his fighter from hitting a tower. As he spun out of control, he could see Jade's fighter hurtling away from the Death Star, one engine sheared off and engulfed in flames. He could hear the sixteen-year old female pilot screaming in terror through the Force. _Master! Help me!_ His heart sank as his own craft kept hurtling out of control and away from his young protégé. He heard Solo's voice over his scanner, and saw the Millennium Falcon veer clear of the trench to give the X-Wing pilot freedom to maneuver.

"You're all clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!"

Ten seconds later, there was a huge explosion, and the Death Star began to break apart as its anti-matter reactor went critical. As the fireball reached the munitions stores, thousands of stockpiled thermonuclear weapons cooked off, greatly increasing the destructive power of the blast in a scant fraction of a second. Vader noticed that the combined fireball completely engulfed the Death Star. He felt the screaming of the death throes of some twenty thousand men and women of the Imperial Navy as they were incinerated in a second. _So much for the three hundred billion credit technological terror._ Through the chaos, he remained focused on one entity: _Jade! Where is Mara Jade?_ He could feel her Force signature, somehow, miraculously, she was alive!

He could hear Solo's cocky voice over the scanner. "Great shot, kid, that was one in a million!"

_No, you Rebel scum…that was the Force._ _Somehow, the Alliance has someone piloting their craft who is strong with the Force, as well as that girl spy who resembles Padme_. Vader knew that the Empire had suffered a crushing defeat. The Death Star had been used to attack the Rebel base without waiting for support from the Fleet, thanks to Tarkin's arrogance. _At least he's been blown to atoms and scattered. Screw him. The Emperor would have cut him down where he stood for such incompetence_. Of course, Vader realized that even if he could get his crippled X1 fighter to the Imperial Navy, the Emperor would likewise not be happy with him. For a moment, Vader considered surrendering to the Alliance. What else is there to live for? He wished that the explosion had consumed him as well. _I could have left all this behind and been reunited with my Angel_…he imagined her as she was when they were courting, lying in the field of flowers on Naboo. He could see her laughing, smiled, her brown hair framed by the bright Naboo sun. _Ani…my sweet Ani_…then he saw her face turned deadly serious. _Snap out of it, Ani! You've got to save her! She's our daughter-in-law! Mother to our grandchildren!_

Vader snapped to attention and scanned his instruments. _Transponder code, if her fighter is still intact, and she's in distress, the emergency transponder should be transmitting_. Of course, the Rebel craft could home in on it too. However, Vader could not detect any Rebel craft nearby. _They've retreated to their base at Yavin IV_. He dialed in the frequency of Jade's craft and hoped against hope. _ I hope it's not just wishful thinking, I can feel her Force signature. _He headed to a position halfway between the glowing gas fireball that had been the Death Star and Yavin. Then he saw it…Jade's TIE fighter, smashed against the hulk of a Rebel Y-Wing. She's alive! Somehow, her fighter had been shielded from the main explosion by the Rebel craft. As he drew close, he could see that the Rebel pilot was certainly dead. The Y-Wing was a burned-out hulk, and the charred body of its pilot was visible through the smashed canopy. The transponder gave an ominous signal: the environmental systems were smashed, and Jade was barely breathing off the residual oxygen. Vader had to act fast or she'd be dead. _Padme, I heard you, if you're right and she will bear our grandchildren, I can't let her die!_

Vader knew there was no time to don a space suit. His own breath suit could function for a brief time in the vacuum of space, but he knew it was risky. _She's worth it._ He attached a tether and opened the hatch. He pushed off and floated towards Jade's fighter. When he reached it, he pulled out his light saber and used it to free the hatch on her wrecked craft. He reached down and grabbed the girl. As she weighed only about forty-four kilos, she was easy to handle. He retracted the tether and pulled them both into his ship. Shutting the hatch, he powered up the ship and waited as the atmosphere was restored.

Vader removed Mara's helmet and the Nomex head covering. What he saw saddened him. Her face was a mass of bruises, her nose was smashed. The head cover had come off with difficulty due to congealed blood. The terrible beating that she'd endured when her ship crashed into the trench wall and then was violently propelled out into space mocked the blood-matted strawberry blonde hair. She was breathing in harsh gasps.

Vader grabbed the mask from the emergency oxygen reserve and pressed it against her face. He could feel her consciousness come back as she breathed the life-giving gas in. She coughed, and he removed the mask. Mara opened her eyes. She managed a weak smile at her rescuer.

"Master, I'm sorry. I've failed you and the Emperor…"

Vader gently hugged her. "Mara, my apprentice, don't be sorry. It is I that has failed you. You fought courageously."

"I should have been on the lookout for that YT-1300. He took Kiffers and I by complete surprise."

That craft must have a cloaking device. It wasn't your fault."

Mara put her arms around Vader's neck. He held her close, and she rested her head against his chest.

"I will set a course back to the Fleet reserve at Sullust. Hopefully they'll detect our mayday signal and pick us up." He put the mask back over her face. "Rest, my apprentice."

_By the Force, I will keep her alive. Too many that I have loved have perished. First mother, then Padme…if she is indeed to bear children to my undiscovered son, then it's what I have to live for._

Vader surveyed his instruments and realized with dread that the ship's power was insufficient to sustain them for more than a few days. He'd have to use the power from his suit to supplement which meant that he'd have to take it off. He ran some calculations on the ships' computer. _I can raise the oxygen level to 40% with the suit pack. That will be barely enough to sustain myself_. However, to do so meant that the interior could be maintained no higher than twenty Celsius below zero; and that for about ten standard days. Jade would certainly die of hypothermia long before they could be rescued. Unless…there was an emergency thermal blanket, it could be operated and keep them both from freezing at a cost of a day of atmosphere. _A worthwhile trade-off_, Vader mused. This meant that both he and Mara Jade would have to remove their suits and huddle together, wrapped in the blanket.

"Help me get my helmet and mask off, Ensign. Please do not be alarmed by what you see."

Mara nervously complied. She'd heard rumors about Vader and his hideous appearance. First she lifted the helmet off, then she released the catches on his breathe mask. As she did, she closed her eyes, and then slowly reopened them. At first, she was taken aback by what she saw; then discipline plus the desire not to hurt her Master's feelings helped her maintain composure.

Vader's face was that of a middle-aged man, once handsome, but had been scarred, apparently from burns and not healed properly. There were small clumps of blonde hair in the few places the burns hadn't destroyed hair follicles. Mara had expected to see the gold-yellow eyes like the Emperor's, however, his were deep blue. They were captivating, and even with his hideous injuries Vader still had an almost boyish charm to him.

"M' Lord…"

Vader nodded. "Please help me get the rest of this suit off, Mara. Until the oxygen levels rise, I can barely breathe without the suit."

Mara complied and undid the rest of the suit. Underneath the suit, Vader wore simple undergarments of a cotton-like material. She could see that the burns were over most of his body. It amazed her how he'd ever survived, save that it was his command of the Force. He began to shiver. Mara glanced at the ship's instrument panel and noted the cabin temperature had dropped to zero Celsius already; her breath was visible and she noticed the windows were fogging. She realized she had to hurry. Mara undid the rest of her flight suit. She noticed that she had bruises all over her arms and upper torso. She reached for the emergency blanket and unfolded it and connected the power cable. She smiled, and settled down in Vader's lap and drew the blanket over them both.

Vader reclined the seat so they could both sleep comfortably. Mara nestled her face into his chest, and Vader wrapped his arms around her. He felt a bit uncomfortable at first, the girl, though very attractive, he'd known since she was a toddler. To him, for all practical purposes, Mara was the daughter he'd never had. He could sense that her feelings were somewhat more than daughterly, though. _Maintaining her spirits is critical for her survival, indeed, if she doesn't survive, neither will I_. Under different circumstances ordinary military protocol would have sufficed to keep her from indulging in teenaged infatuation. Now, however, they had to be intimate to a degree in order to share bodily warmth. Still, she was only sixteen…not that anyone would press charges were he to yield to temptation, yet his own sense of honor restrained him from wanting to take advantage of the girl.

Mara held Vader's scarred hands and kissed them. Vader held her tight and whispered, "Sleep, my little angel." As his Force suggestion took hold, Mara's eyes became heavy. She placed her thumb in her mouth, and drifted off to sleep. Vader surveyed the ship's instruments once more to ensure that the X1 was on course. The twin ion engines were shut off to conserve power; it was important that minimal course corrections were needed to maximize their chances of survival. Satisfied that he could take a nap, Vader drew the blanket over his head and closed his eyes.

**Chapter 13 – Dreams and an unexpected encounter. Setting matters straight.**

Vader dreamt as he often did of happier times. He was at his old apartment at 500 Republicca on Coruscant. He'd come home early from a mission and decided to surprise Padme. He'd stripped to his underwear and crawled into bed. About an hour later, he heard the front door slam and the hall light was on. After a few minutes the bedroom door slowly opened. "Hello, handsome…does my husband know you're here? No? Well, then, we'd best make use of our time together…" Anakin saw her backlit form in the shadows wriggle out of her Senatorial robes. She bent over and removed her panties, then turned her back to him and slowly undid the back catch on her bra. She slowly let it loose and twirled it momentarily over her head. He could see her tantalizing profile in the dim bedroom light, backlit by the passing speeder traffic on Coruscant's main skyway. "I'm hungry for something really…tasty…umm". Padme ducked under the bedcovers at the foot of the bed and made her way to him. She gently pulled down his underwear and began kissing his maleness. "Oh yummy…mama's gotta craving…" She worked him further with her lips. After a short time, he felt the sweet exquisiteness of release. "Oh…M' Lord…".

_Wait a minute! My Lord?_ Padme never would have said _that_ when they were intimate! His eyes opened in horror. The young TIE fighter pilot was working him hard. He knew he had to stop her, and fast…before the situation was beyond his control, as if it hadn't gone too far already. He gently tugged on her hair.

"Mara…please…you must stop. Please!"

Mara lifted her face up from Anakin's groin. "M' Lord, what's wrong? Don't you like what I'm doing?"

"Oh, my dear, that's just it, I like it too much. I shouldn't have let you take it this far. You got me while asleep."

"Yeah, I know. Who's Padme? Is she an old flame?"

"She's more than a flame to me, Mara. She was my wife."

"Wait, M' Lord. I've known you since I was a little girl, but this is the first time that I ever heard that you were married."

"It was before the Empire. In fact, she died on Empire Day." A tear escaped from one eye. It was the first time that Mara sensed that he'd ever cried, and she thought she'd never see that.

"I'm sorry, M' Lord. I certainly don't want to mock your feelings for her. I can tell how much you loved her. I'm just scared right now. I'm afraid that we aren't going to make it. I've never been with a man before."

"Mara, at your young age, that's quite alright. You know that with what I could teach you, plus the governesses that I've hired for you, I've wanted you to respect yourself. It's not that I'm a prude, far from it. I just feel that sex is special, and not readily shared."

"Lord Vader, that's just it. You are special to me. It's not just that you're powerful and strong. It's that you're a man of integrity. You don't use your position to get rich, or go out of your way to hurt people. As fearsome as people think you are, I can't but marvel at how much you restrain yourself. I can feel how much you care about me, too. How behind the armor, the suit, and the mask, beats an enormous caring heart."

Vader slipped his underwear back on. "Yes, Mara, I do care so deeply about you. That's why I must ask that we just forget about what happened. It's no comment on your lovemaking skills; your husband-to-be will be most pleased."

"But…it won't be you, right?"

"Mara, think about it. Right now you're underage. Yes, you're a prodigy, and I'd like to think that I had a hand it that. But you've still got a lot of growing to do and things to experience before it's time to get serious with a man. Getting involved with yours truly will only stunt that. I do love you…more than you'll ever know. I just…can't love you _that_ way. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I didn't consider the possibilities, but I know better. It comes with being 42 years old, I guess, and besides, it's my responsibility as your commanding officer to look out for your best interests."

Mara began to cry. Vader used his loose shirt to gently pat her tears.

"I hope you don't think I'm some kind of slut. I just wanted to please you, M' Lord."

"Yes, I know, and in spite of having to say no, it's very much appreciated." He pulled her close and gently hugged her. "I won't hesitate to say it between us. I do love you as if you were my own child. Perhaps it's because until recently I believed that my child perished in Padme's womb when she died. Now I believe that she lives. Still, there's room for you always in my heart."

Tears flowed freely from Mara's eyes and soaked Vader's t-shirt. "Thank you."

He whispered, "We're going to make it, my little angel…I just know it."

She hugged him tight. "I couldn't be in better hands. M' Lord…you say that now you're sure that your child survived. It's because of the Alderaani girl…Leia Organa, right? Is that why you asked me to look up her Senatorial medical records just before we went into combat?"

"Mara, I'm certain that she is my daughter, I just want the physical evidence to be sure."

"What about your son?"

"My…son?"

"I have the feeling that the rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star is your son. His piloting skills weren't just simply as good as yours; they were just like yours."

"When I was coming to after being flung in space by the explosion of the Death Star, I dreamt that Padme was speaking to me. I wanted to just hold her in my arms, but she admonished me to focus on finding you. It was because she said that you would become…my daughter-in-law. So I must have a son as well if the vision was true."

Mara's eyes glistened with tears. "M' Lord, I've had that feeling all along. I've been seeing the boy that I've believed to be your son in my dreams for several years. He looks a lot like you, only even blonder, and his face looks a bit less chiseled. Only when we're both asleep can we communicate. It's strange but we both seem comfortable with it. We don't really converse, you know, it's like we just share our feelings."

"It was like that between Padme and me. Even when we were half a galaxy apart, we somehow could always be together in the Force. It wasn't as good as being in each other's company, but we were never truly apart…until that fateful day." He put his face in his hands and began to sob. "But now she's gone…and I've only myself to blame."

Mara hugged him and whispered, "No, M' Lord…that can't be right. There's so much good in you. You've been hiding it inside, hiding behind that mask. I can see this Padme in Leia, but I can also see you in her as well. As for this boy, the connection is uncanny. From what I can feel of him he is so much like you that who else could he be but your son? I know that I felt his presence when we were trying to shoot him down."

"Mara…thank you…and…you don't have to call me Lord anymore. Please, at least when it's just us two, call me…Father…or Daddy."

"I will…_Daddy_. That's what you've been to me. Now I feel terrible for seducing you. Please forgive me."

"Of course, daughter. I'm complemented, but now we know where we stand. Let's get some sleep. We need to conserve energy and oxygen if we're going to maximize our life-support." He drew the blanket over both of them. She nestled back to his chest and dozed off to sleep. Vader look down at the sleeping girl. Even with the bruises and dried blood, she still looked angelic. For the first time in years, he'd opened his heart and felt an outpouring of love…and he knew that he could not serve the Emperor anymore. _I will find a way to be free of him, and likewise free all those I've oppressed. I owe Padme that much at least_.


End file.
